But the fact remains that something like this story in one form or another held Egypt spell-bound for many hundred years.

It was the force behind every mummification.

It was the reason for the whole Egyptian system of life, death, and entombment, for the man not embalmed could not make the journey.

So the explorer finds the Egyptian with a roll of this papyrus as a guide-book on his mummy breast.

The soul needed to return for refreshment periodically to the stone chamber, and the mummy mutilated or destroyed could not entertain the guest.